Track-leveling device.



A. H. CHINAKAS.

TRACK LEVELING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l7. 1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

3mm Andre w Chiba/127s THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOTG-LITHOH wAsHINGrON. D. c.

A. H- CHINAKAS- TRACK LEVELING DEVICE.

APPLICATION LED AUG.|7| 1914- 1,143,039.. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ANDREW H. GHINAKAS, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

TRACK-LEVELING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed August 17, 1914. Serial No, 857,187.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW H. CI-IINAKAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane, and

State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Leveling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track surfacers or levelers for use in determining the extent to which a sunken length of track must be elevated to level the same with trackage at normal level.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide supporting means for sustaining a spot board'in desired relation above the rails for use in connection with sight blocks in determining the extent to which a portion of the rail or rails is to be elevated.

A further object is to provide spot boards, which are independently movable, or which can be moved with respect to each other so that the device may be used in connection with either straight or curved lengths of track.

A further object of the invention is to provide spot board supporting means with a graduated supporting bar, whereby a reading may be eifected to indicate the extent of adjustment made.

A further object is to provide graduated devices whereby a reading may be taken from the adjustment of either of a plurality of spot boards.

Other features and objects of the inven tion will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a length of trackage, showing one utility of the device of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through a length of straight trackage, showing the spot board device or devices in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the manner in which the device of my invention is'used on a curved length of traokage. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View in elevation of the adjacent ends of two spot boards together with the supporting and adjusting means therefor. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, l and 2 designate rails of a length of straight trackage, which will of course include ties 3 on which the rails are mounted, as usual. A portion of the track age, as at a and b, in each instance, is indicated as occupying a normal or correct grade or level whereas a portion 0 is indicated as having sunk below the normal grade or level. It is the object of this invention to provide means for determining, in a ready and accurate manner, to what extent the sunken portion must be elevated in order to be on a level with the normal portions a and 6, without necessitating a complicated mathematical calculation. It will be understood that this is only one of the utilities of the invention, but it is, nevertheless, a principal utility.

Thereis provided a supporting means for supporting a spot board or boards free from the rails, but in any necessary proximity thereto, and as shown, said supporting means is in the form of a tripod comprising longitudinally extensible or adjustable legs 4, pivoted at 5, to a head 6. The head 6, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, comprises upper and lower sections 7 and 8, respectively, which are bored to permit of adjustment therein of a rectangular graduated board supporting bar 9. The upper and lower sections 7 and 8 are flanged, as indicated at 10 and 11, and to the latter are pivoted the legs 4. Upon the upper flange 10, there is disposed a level 12, which may be of any approved type. The bar 9 may be anchored in adjusted positions by means of a set screw 13 and a reading may be taken at 14. A collar 15 is secured to the bar, and the stem 16 of a hand grip 17 is threaded into the collar 15, so that the bar 9 may be manually raised or lowered. The lower end of bar 9 is forked, and the forked portions 18 and 19 are shown graduated as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. Each forked portion is provided with a bore through which shanks 20 and 21 of supporting hooks are slidable. Shank 20 terminates in a board supporting hook 22 and shank 21 terminates in a board supporting hook 23. A spot board section 24 is mounted in hook 22, and a spot board section 25 is mounted in hook 23. Shanks 20 and 21 are provided with collars 26 and 27, respectively, having set screws 28 and 29, whereby the shanks may be locked in adjusted positions. The tops of the shanks 20 and 21 terminate in hand grips 30 and Y31, respectively. In adjusting the board to each other into alined relation, or into offset relation.

An arm 36 is mounted on section 24, and

' an adjusting rod 37 is rotatively connected therewith and held against longitudinal movement with respect thereto .by means of collars 38 and 39. The collars are shown pinned to the adjusting rod 37, as indicated at 40 and 4-1. The adjusting rod is threaded throughout the major portion of its length, there being an upper smooth -portion 42. A smooth guide rod 43 rests upon arm 36 and extends through bearing brackets 44, which are fixed to section 24.

An adjusting bracket 45 is fixed to board section 25 and has a 'threadedportion e6 having threaded engagement with rod 37 and a portion 47 having guiding engagement with guide rod 43. An upper guidthe intermediate or target block 50.

ing bracket 48 is fixed to board section 25 and has guiding engagement with rod 43 and the smooth upper portion 42 ofadjust- I ing tod 37. A "knurled head 49 serves as a grip for rotating adjusting rod 37 to dis place board sections 242 and 25 with respect to each other. However, by reason of the guiding engagement set forth it will be seen that the board sections will always be held to predetermine adjusting paths of movement with respect to eachother.

A target block 50 is shown disposed on the sunken rail portion 0, and-a sight block 51 is disposed on the normal rail portion '6 remote from the spot boards with respect go raising jack is indicated at 52 and is disposed in a .positionin readiness "to elevate thesunken rail portion 0. v

Assuming that it was desired to determine the extent of elevation necessary for the sunken portion '0, the operator would first sight the block 50 with respect to the,

sight strip 134 and the bar 9 would be adusted up or down until the bottom edge of the sight strip 3% was-horizontal with intersection with a sight line connecting the top of block 51 :and the bottom edge of the sight strip 34. This would indicate that the sunken portion 0 had been raised to the level of normal portions a and b.

in utilizing the :device for straight tracks, the board sections 9A and 25 will be elevated to theposition shown in Fig. 2 in view of the fact that reading will, always be taken at let for straight track work.

For curved track work, as indicated in Fig. 3, one section, say 25ior instance, will be elevated by'adjustmerit of rod 37, and after the sections have been adjusted their supporting hooks will likewise be adjusted and then set so -to hold the boards in adjusted positions. The sighting operation will be the same as in the case of a straight track,

and in both instances, the boards 24 and 25 may beset for both rails, without further adjustment, in case that 'therails are "to be raised the same distance, relatively speaking. --However, this advantageous fea- 'ture will be more 'frequently present with;

straight tracks than with curved tracks.

In using "the invention for curved tracks,

, :theboard secti'ons will be adjusted as shown in Fig. 3 and-readings will be taken at 32 and 33, instead of at 14. V p 7 It will be seen that the sight boards are supported independently of th'e rails 1 and 2, both as regards straight 'traekage and as regards rails 53 and "54 of curved tracka'ge,

and inasmuch as a level can gositive'ly be obtained with respect to the a the tripod,jit will be seen thata much more accurate result can be obtained than would be the casei'f the levelf'boa rd were disposed directly upon the rails.

justment of V By reason of the fact "that the tripod legs 7 Q are longitudinally extensible, no difliculty would 'be encounteredin leveling the head of the instrument on "curved trackage, as shown i-n 3.

While I have herein shown and described one specific 'form 'ofmy invention, 1 do not wish to "be limited thereto except forgsuch limitations as "the claims may import. Iclaimrf' H '1. In a track. leveling device, a tripod provided with ahead and a level,a gradin ated bar adjustable in said headand forked I with the forked portions graduated, board carriers adjustable on said forked portions,

a spot board supported by each carrier, and means connected with the spot boards for adjusting the same, substantially as described. I V

2. In a track leveling device, a tripod provided with a head and a level, a graduated bar adjustable in said head and forked with the forked portions graduated, board carriers adjustable on said forked portions, a spot board supported by each carrier, and rotatable adjusting means for displacing said spot boards with respect to each other in predetermined paths of movement, substantially as described.

3. In a track leveling device, a tripod provided with a head and a level, a bar carried by said head, spot boards carried by said bar, and means adjustably connecting said boards for displacing the same with respect to each other relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

4:. In a track leveling device, spot board supporting means, spot boards carried by said means, and mechanism connected with said boards for displacing the same into alined or offset relation with respect to each other relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

5. In a track leveling device, spot board supporting means, spot boards, and mechanism for adjusting said spot boards on said supporting means relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

6. In a track leveling device, spot board supporting means, spot boards, mechanism for adjusting said spot boards on said supporting means relatively to the tracks, and means for adjusting said boards with respect to each other, relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

7. In a track leveling device, spot board supporting means, spot boards, mechanism for adjusting said spot boards on said supporting means relatively to the tracks, and means connected with adjacent ends of said boards for adjusting the same with respect to each other relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

8. In a track leveling device, spot board supporting means, spot boards, mechanism for adjusting said spot boards on said supporting means relatively to the tracks, and rotatable means connected with adjacent ends of said boards for adjusting the same with respect to each other relatively to the tracks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW I-I. OHINAKAS.

Witnesses HAROLD SGANTHBURY, EDNA BROYLES.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

